Pacific Bluefin Fish Fetches Record Price of $3.2 million at Japanese Capital New Year Sale
A bulky Pacific bluefin tuna made headlines at the Toyosu fish market this Monday, achieving a record-breaking bid of 510.3 million yen ($3.2m; £2.4m) during the market's inaugural auction of the new year.
The successful bid for the 535-pound fish was submitted by the company of a well-known sushi chain, which runs locations throughout Japan and abroad.
"An inaugural tuna signals a prosperous start," remarked the entrepreneur, a regular bidder at the yearly new year's auction.
Dubbed the King of Tuna, this industry figure is renowned for placing high bids for premium bluefin tuna at these auspicious January auctions.
Bidding Surprise and Historic Past
Following the auction, the winner told the press that he was "taken aback at the final price," noting, "I believed we would be able to buy it a little for less, but the price skyrocketed before you knew it."
This new acquisition tops his previous notable purchases:
- He secured a tuna for 56.5 million yen back in 2012.
- He spent 155 million yen a year later.
- In 2019, he acquired a tuna for 333.6 million yen ($2.1 million).
Even after previously saying that he thought he "did too much," he has now managed to surpass his own record another time.
An Annual Spectacle of High Prices
The opening auction at the Toyosu fish market is notoriously characterized by sky-high prices. The previous year, the first tuna was acquired for 207 million yen by a separate sushi chain operator, which announced the fish would be available at its eateries nationwide.
The frenetic activity at the fish market during these early morning auctions has transformed into a popular spectacle in Tokyo. Monday's auction, which started around 05:00 local time, was no different.
Swift Service
The multi-million-dollar tuna was promptly sliced up for customers at the winner's sushi restaurants immediately after the auction ended.
"I believe like I've commenced the year in a auspicious way after consuming something so auspicious as the year begins," said one elated diner.
